It was a marriage destined to fail, the one between Italy and Domino’s Pizza. And in the end, the American chain fled quietly from the Peninsula. From where customers have never particularly appreciated the “Hawaiian” with ham and pineapple, seen more as an outrage to the local culture than as a crazy alternative to the classic margherita. Italians preferred to continue buying variants they have been used to for decades.
Better one quattro cheeses than a “Cheddar Melt”, better one diavola of a “Pepperoni Passion” (don’t be fooled by the false friend: pepperoni in English means spicy salami) and better one vegetable garden of a “Veggie”. Even if it is not only the tastes of consumers that have diverted Domino’s Pizza out of Italy.
Why Domino’s Pizza has failed in Italy: it is (also) the fault of the delivery
In the 2015the year of the launch of the chain in Italy with a franchising agreement signed by ePizza Spa, Domino’s Pizza aimed to offer Italian customers services innovative for the time, such as the possibility of accessing a fast delivery service on a national scale. As well as, as already mentioned, tastes in contrast with the local competition, which have differentiated the American giant from the rest of the offer.
The original plan foresaw the opening of 880 points sale. Local pizzerias, however, also due to the Covid pandemic, have begun to deploy increasingly organized and functional delivery services, and to rely on multinationals in the sector such as JustEat, Deliveroo e Globo.
And therefore to bring into the homes of Italians a product perceived as qualitatively improveor in any case closer to our own concept of pizza through the use of third-party applications, simpler and more pleasant in terms of user experience than that of the chain.
Domino’s Pizza full of debts, the protection provided by the Court is over
Domino’s Pizza has not released official balance sheets but, according to the 2020 balance sheets, the losses in Italy amounted to 10.6 million euros. At the same level, the multinational has a worldwide turnover of over 4 billion dollars, with a net profit of 491 million dollars and a global workforce, including internal employees and franchises, of 290,000 workers.
The Court of Milan ordered, in April, the legal protection of 90 days by creditors. A measure that prevented banks from demanding the repayment of the debt or from taking action with the seizure of assets. The measure, however, expired on 1 July, the date on which the chain began to dismantle the few remaining stores in the Peninsula.
Domino’s Pizza unexpectedly closes in Italy: many comments on social media
The last 13 Italian restaurants of Domino’s Pizza, seven years after their opening, have closed. As the fans of the chain discovered, surprisingly, trying to order through the official website and the other delivery services. Many have flocked to the social channels of the symbol of American pizza for to ask explanationsbut without receiving any answers.
Thus ended the Italian chapter of the most famous pizza in the USA. Which has not managed to win the heart of a people who, while opening up to the contamination of fast food and ethnic cuisine, always defend national excellence with the sword. And he does not want to receive teaching on how to make typical dishes, especially from hated americans pineapple on pizza and cream in carbonara.
If you want to eat one good pizza, we have revealed here which is the best in Italy. You can find instead here all the best Italian pizzas. With all due respect to those who failed to enter the standings, like Flavio Briatore with his new pizzeria, which we have told you about here.
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